Milker support



H. B. BABSON MILKER SUPPORT Dec. 10, 1946.

Filed July 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \N WQ zz KM Z44 Dec. 10, 1946. H'. B. BABSON MILKER SUPPORT Filed July 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 $206272 ar zi %ZZZ Patented Dec. 10, 1946 MILKER SUPPORT Henry B. Babson, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Babson Bros. 00., a corporation of Illinois Application July 8, 1943, Serial No. 493,854

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a milker support, and more particularly to improved means for supporting a suspended milker in milking position beneath a cow.

One feature of this invention is that the milker support includes a connection arranged to withstand the normal milking strains but to separate when the strain on the connection exceeds a predetermined force, to prevent injury to the cow in the event it catches a foot in the supporting means, or in the event of any other abnormal strains; another feature of this invention is that although it requires a substantial force to separate the connection, it can be remade easily; and still another feature of this invention is that the release means comprising a preferred embodiment of this invention is simple and rugged, well adapted to service in a dairy barn. Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a milker support embodying my invention in place on a cOW and carrying a suspendedmilker; Figure 2 is a transverse view of the support with the milker removed and the body of the cow merely indicated; Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the release means and connection; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, with the release member and carrying member shown in solid lines in carry-' ing position, and in dotted lines in their relative position when the connection is being remade -after it has been broken.

Suspended milkers have proven to have a number of advantages over other types of milkers, a large proportion of the milkers now being commercially sold being of the suspended type. These milkers are generally suspended beneath the cow by a surcingle passing over the cows back, although other types of supporting means are sometimes employed, particularly in parlor stalls. V

The supporting means, particularly of the surcingle type, has proved objectionable under some circumstances in that the cow may catch a foot in the supporting means and, in struggling, break a leg or otherwise injure herself. The conventional surcingle supporting arrangement comprises a strap passing over the cow's back and extending down her sides and a metal rod member or how extending underneath her belly from one end of the strap to the other end. As may be best seen-from reference to Figure2, a c w scratching her side with her hind leg or kicking at the milker, if it is new to her, can easily catch a foot in the bow.

It is, of course, very undesirable to make the strap so light that it will readily break, as this means that the strap must be continually replaced. Moreover, if '-the strap is made light enough to break at the desired strain when it is new, deterioration due to age, sweat and the like will cause it to break under normal milking strains, since a completely filled suspended milker weighs in the neighborhood of 50 pounds and this force is increased by dynamic strains due to movement.

I have obviated these difiiculties by devising release means which will maintain the milker in proper position and withstand all normal milking strains but which will cause a connection of the supporting apparatus to separate when a predetermined strain is exceeded. Moreover, my release means is so constructed that it does not deteriorate or change with age, and so that a connection broken by abnormal strains can be quite easily remade.

In the particular. embodiment of my invention illustrated herewith, a conventional suspended milker l0, adapted to be operated by vacuum in a hose ll connected to an appropriate source, is shown suspended in milking position on a cow l2. The supporting means for the milker comprises, as its principal parts, a flexible leather strap or surcingle 13 adapted to lie across the back of the cow and extend down her sides; a

spring steel rod or bow l4 adapted to be connected to the strap at each end, and provided with a depressed central portion Ha adapted to be received in an appropriate notch in the handle of. the milker to support it in milking position; and a release member here indicated asl5.

. The milker comprises, as its principal parts, a bucket, a lid, a pulsator, four teat cups and the rubber infiations and tubes necessary to render it operative. Such a milker will not be described more fully here, since it is well known in the field and, in itself, forms no part of the present invention, primarily concerned with supporting means for such a milker. Reference may be had to Me- Cornack Patent 1,859,213 of May. 17, 1932-, and to other issued patents for a morecomplete description of such milkers and of the way in which they are conventionally supported. It is to be noted that the suspension is preferably arranged with the top of the strapsomewhat forward of the connection to the milker, as shown in Figure 1, so that there is a forward as well as downward pull upon the teats during milking. As explained is preferably sufficiently closed to keep the release member I! from ever coming out accidentally, but far enough open to enable the parts to be linked together with only very slight spreading of the ends of the surcingle strap well away from the sides of the cow, as illustrated in Figure 2; and.

it is this which creates the problem mentioned above, in that a substantial space is,le ft along the side of the cow into which her foot can-go when scratching or kicking. I

As may be best seen in Figure 2, an adjustable connection is provided at the left-hand side (speaking with respect to this view) by providing eyelets l3a, l3b, etc., into which the end Nb of the bow may be hooked. Differences among cows in factors such as the breadth of the ribs, the

height of the belly from the ground, the position of the udder, etc., makes such adjustment desirable.

The other end of the spring steel bow 14, however, is formed back onto a loop or eyelet Me. As may be best seen in Figure 4, this loop is not completely closed, but has a partially open portion adjacent the-end of the rod member for a purpose to be subsequently more fully described.

The right-hand end of the strap is turned back and fastened upon itself, the loop thus formed carrying the side l5a of a triangle formed from a spring steel rod member of a diameter in the neighborhood of I; or one-quarter ofan inch. The other two sides, |5b and I50, extend down with the ends of the rod member adjacent each other at the apex of the triangle opposite the side a, as may be best seen in Figure 3. The connection between this end of the strap and the supporting bow I 4 is completed by interlinking the loop I to and the release member l5, as may be best seen in Figures 3 and 4.

When the release member [5 is made of a spring steel rod of appropriate thickness, the two lower ends stay together as a result of the spring tension of the sides I51) and l5c until a substantial downward pull on the endof the bow l4, whereupon the sides I 5b and I50 yield sufficiently to let the loop or eyelet I40 pull out through the apex of the triangle. I find it desirable to so construct the release member that it requires from 50 to 75 pounds, preferably about 60 pounds, to cause breaking or release of the connection. The weight of a full milker is distributed equally between the two sides of the strap, of course, so that its static force on the connection at the right-hand side is only in the neighborhood of pounds; and providing a connection which will withstand double this strain takes care of the normal dynamic milking strains which are additional to the static weight of the milker. If a cow gets a hind leg caught in the bow, however, the leg usually slips down to a point near the center of the bow, and her struggles to free her leg impose additional strains which exceed the holding ability of the release member. Any other abnormal strain will cause a similar release of the connection and protect the parts from damage and the cow from injury.

When the connection has been broken for any reason, it is desirable to be able to replace it relatively easily. In the embodiment of this invention disclosed herewith, this is accomplished by pulling the triangle back into its interlinked relation with the loop Me by bringing the apex of the triangle adjacent the opening in the loop. as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. The loop I40 adjacent ends of the sides I51) and I50. I have preferably arranged the opening such that, in relation to the size of the rod of which the release member is formed, it only requires about 10 pounds pull or a little less to pull the parts back into connected relationship. It is also important that the loop in the strap encircling the side of the triangle be quite short to prevent any possibility of the triangle shifting. Obviously, if the triangle should shift around until the side lib were in the strap, the lower apex of the triangle would then be solid, and my desired release action would not be operative. The free, metal-tometal interlinkage between the release member 15 and the loop Hc, moreover, has another ad'- vantagedn that the supporting bow always hangs down in a convenient position when the strap is thrown across the back of the cow from the left side without any tendency of the bow to stick out at some undesirable angle.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claimi 1. Supporting apparatus for a suspended milker, including: flexible means adapted to extend down the sides of the cow; relatively rigid means adapted to extend beneath the belly of the cow and carry the milker; and a release member comprising a spring rod formed into a triangle with one side thereof permanently connected to one of the means in such manner as to permit movement only about the axis of said one side, and with the ends of the rod adjacent each other at the apex opposite said side, the other means being provided with a loop with an opening in one portion thereof, the loop and triangle being adapted to be interlinked, the strength of the spring rod being such as to maintain the connection under the normal milking strains but release such connection when the strain thereon exceeds a predetermined force, the opening in the loop enabling the connection to be remade with only a small but appreciable fraction of the force necessary to effect release.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mentioned means is a surcingle strap adapted to lie across the back of the cow and the relatively rigid means is a rod member with the loop formed in one end thereof.

.3. Supporting apparatus for a suspended milker, including: flexible means adapted to extend down the sides of the cow; relatively rigid means adapted to extend beneath the belly of the cow and carry the milker; and a release member connecting one end of the flexible means to one end of the relatively rigid means, this member comprising a spring rod formed into a triangle with one side thereof permanently connected to one of the means in such manner as to permit movement only about the axis of said one side, and with the ends of the rod adjacent each other at the apex opposite said side, the construction and arrangement being such as to maintain the connection under the normal milking strains but release such connection when the strain thereon exceeds a predetermined force.

4. Supporting apparatus for a suspended milker, including: flexible means adapted to extend down the sides of the cow; relatively rigid means adapted to extend beneath the belly of the cow and carry the milker; and a release member connecting one end of the flexible means to one end of the relatively rigid means, this member having one side thereof permanently connected to one of the means and free ends in converging relation to each other, the free ends being opposite said side, the construction and arrangement being such as to maintain the connection under the normal milking strains but release such connection when the strain thereon exceeds a predetermined force.

5. Supporting apparatus for a suspended milker, including: flexible means adapted to extend down the sides of the cow; relatively rigid means adapted to extend beneath the belly of the cow and carry the milker; and a release member connecting one end of the flexible means to one end of the relatively rigid means, this member having one side thereof permanently connected to one of the means and free ends in converging relation to each other, the free ends being opposite said side, the rigid means having a portion with a return bend providing a free end in spaced relation to the main portion of the rigid means such that connection can be remade with a smaller application of force than is necessary to effect release, the construction and arrangement being such as to maintain the connection under the normal milking strains but release such connection when the strain thereon exceeds .a predetermined force. I

HENRY B. BABSON. 

